Sophia, Noah most popular baby names in U.S. for 2013

TORONTO – Not willing to name your new baby after a direction or a sky-coloured plant?

You can look south of the border this Mother’s Day if you need some inspiration, as the American Social Security Administration has released its top baby names for 2013.

Sophia remains in the top spot for girls for the third year in a row, but Noah has replaced Jacob as the top boy name—called a “stunning” move by Today.com since they note it’s the first new boys’ name to hit the top spot (other than Jacob or Michael) since 1960.

At least one Canadian took notice: B.C. crooner Michael Bublé and his wife Luisana Lopilato named their son Noah, born in Vancouver on Aug. 27.

The SSA’s top names for girls are:

1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Olivia
4. Isabella
5. Ava
6. Mia
7. Emily
8. Abigail
9. Madison
10. Elizabeth

The top names for boys are:

1. Noah
2. Liam
3. Jacob
4. Mason
5. William
6. Ethan
7. Michael
8. Alexander
9. Jayden
10. Daniel

Top Canadian baby names for 2013 were released in December by magazine Today’s Parent. The American list counts different spellings of the same name as different names, but the Canadian lists count them as one.

See how name choices compare below:

For girls:

1. Emma
2. Olivia
3. Sofia/Sophia
4. Zoe(y)
5. Maya/Mia/Mya
6. Emilie/Emily
7. Chloe/Khloe
8. Lea/Leah
9. Sara(h)
10. Ava

For boys:

1. Liam
2. Jacob
3. William
4. Nathan
5. Samuel
6. Oliver/Olivier
7. Lucas
8. Noah
9. Benjamin
10. Ethan

What do you think of the top names, and would you consult a list before making your choice? Tell us what you think in the comments below.